United crash as Rovers show their Stock
Leeds United 0 Doncaster Rovers 1
Doncaster Rovers would not describe Elland Road as jinxed, but any ghosts associated with Leeds United's ground have been exorcised by Sean O'Driscoll's players.
Never before, at any point in their history, had Doncaster taken three points from a league game in Leeds, but in the first meeting between the clubs since 1956 yesterday that record was blitzed by a first-half goal from Brian Stock and a performance caked in confidence.
Stock's free-kick secured a result which Doncaster's supporters will view with historical importance, but their 1-0 victory at Elland Road offered more than the acquisition of bragging rights.
Leeds and Doncaster have never been regular enemies, as the half-century since their last competitive meeting showed.
For years it was difficult to consider the clubs as equals. But Rovers' defeat of United left no question that their present teams occupy a level playing field, and are as likely as Leeds to leave League One this season.
If anything, O'Driscoll might be tempted to feel that Doncaster possess an ounce of superiority. It seemed to be so yesterday as a professional and ambitious away performance brought a valuable success.
Doncaster were the more convincing team on a day when United struggled, and the return at the Keepmoat Stadium next month is already intriguing.
Leeds remain in a prominent position, a single point behind Rovers in fifth spot, but their consistency cannot compare with a Doncaster team who have lost one oftheir last 18 league games.
Both squads are strong enough to secure promotion, but Rovers are staking their claim with greater authority.
Doncaster were predictably unchanged yesterday, but a 1-0 victory at Crewe Alexandra on Monday evening was not sufficient to defend David Prutton's place in United's line-up. The midfielder was dropped to the bench as Dennis Wise gave recent signing Bradley Johnson his full debut and switched Andrew Hughes from a central position to the right wing.
Johnson was involved immediately, warned by referee Steve Tanner for his part in a tussle with Jason Price while Doncaster were kicking off, and the terse start was indicative of the intense and scrappy match that followed.
The patchy surface did not lend itself to flowing football but, for the bulk of the game, Doncaster made the better of it and took control with the only goal on 21 minutes.
United's defence had survived two near-breaches before Casper Ankergren was beaten by a free-kick which should never have reached his goalline.
Richie Wellens was brought down on the edge of the box by a stray leg of Paul Huntington, giving Stock the chance to shoot at Ankergren. His free-kick was low and weak but United's porous wall allowed the effort to fly past their goalkeeper before he could react.
But as soft as Stock's goal was, it might by then have been Doncaster's third.
A well-timed intervention from Darren Kenton had dispossessed James Coppinger 18 yards out after Price's pass put the striker clear, and Coppinger was guilty of reacting slowly in the expectation that a non-existent offside flag would stop him dead.
Price should himself have scored four minutes later after running onto Mark McCammon's header and lashing a volley into the side-netting, and it took the shock of Stock's free-kick to bring Leeds into the game.
Their first opportunity fell to Jermaine Beckford in the 26th minute after Kenton had narrowly failed to make contact with Peter Sweeney's cross inside the six-yard area.
Beckford returned the rebound with interest, but Rovers goalkeeper Neil Sullivan collected his fierce volley at the second attempt, denying the club he had protected on 110 occasions. It was the only occasion before half-time when Sullivan was asked to stretch himself.
A corner from Sweeney in injury-time deflected kindly into his hands after hitting Adam Lockwood and running through Kenton's legs, but Doncaster had continued to look dangerous with Price heading James O'Connor's cross wide in the 39th minute.
There was no question that the credit for the first half belonged to the visitors.
An injury sustained by Kenton shortly before the interval forced Wise to sacrifice a substitution by replacing the centre-back with Matt Heath at the start of the second period.
Heath's flicked header laid on an early chance for Beckford which the striker drove against the onrushing Sullivan, and for a brief time Leeds as a team looked more enthused.
To force the issue further, Wise introduced Tresor Kandol in place of Tore Andre Flo eight minutes into the half, but the hosts hung on desperately in the 58th minute during another dynamic attack from Doncaster.
Coppinger ran clear of United's defence and chose to swing a low cross to the back post and Ankergren reacted brilliantly to block McCammon's shot at the striker's feet.
Both Wise and O'Driscoll knew by then that a second Doncaster goal would settle the outcome.
Coppinger came close to producing a decisive strike when his attempt on 63 minutes was diverted wide by Ankergren, and a lovely run and shot from Wellens needed Huntington's intervention to keep it from the net.
The pressure from Doncaster was constant, and McCammon's header from Stock's free-kick missed the net by a matter of inches 19 minutes from time.
United's habit of scoring late goals – less apparent recently than it was at the start of the season – hoveredover Rovers during the final throes of the match.
A long-range shot from Kandol was held by Sullivan before Johnson's free-kick from a promising position rebounded off Doncaster's wall.
But their push for an equaliser came too late and with too little conviction, and Rovers players and supporters celebrated their victory with the enthusiasm of a club who had waited patiently for the moment.
Leeds United: Ankergren, Richardson, Huntington, Kenton (Heath 46), Parker, Johnson, Hughes, Kilkenny (Weston 72), Sweeney, Flo (Kandol 54), Beckford. Subs not used: Prutton, Thompson.
Doncaster: Sullivan, O'Connor, Stephen Roberts, Lockwood, Gareth Roberts, Green, Stock, Wellens (Wilson 82), Coppinger (Hayter 87), McCammon, Price (Mills 80). Subs not used: Guy, Woods.
Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset).
Attendance: 31,402.
YEP
